Input apparatuses that use a touch panel have been widespread for automatic teller machines in banks, automated ticket vendors for train tickets, commuting passes, and so forth, so-called convenience store terminals used in convenience stores for ticket sales and other services, information process apparatuses such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistances), and so forth. The touch panel type input apparatus accomplishes a GUI (Graphical Operator Interface) for users of these apparatuses by correlating buttons and icons displayed on a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) with a coordinate system and detecting the position that a finger or a pointing device such as a pen touches on the panel.
With many of these touch panel type input apparatuses unlike normal input apparatuses that use real switch buttons, the operator cannot really feel a click sense. Thus, recent touch panel type input apparatuses generate operation sound such as beep sound and/or change the shape of a display button corresponding to an operator's input operation to acoustically and/or visually inform him or her that the input operation has been performed.
However, when the operator uses such an input apparatus, it may slowly respond to the input operation or may not operate. If the operator mistakes an input operation, he or she becomes anxious about the operability of the input apparatus. Thus, it cannot be said that the conventional touch panel type input apparatuses are easy to operate.
To solve such a problem, a mechanism of which for example a piezoelectric device is disposed immediately above a panel has been proposed. In this mechanism, when the operator performs an input operation, the piezoelectric device causes the panel to deform corresponding to the input operation to feed back a force sense to him or her. Thus, when the operator operates the input apparatus, he or she feels a click sense as if he or she pressed a switch button.
In a conventional apparatus, a resistive film type touch panel is used. In the resistive film type touch panel, a plurality of flexible electrode sheets are layered with a predetermined space so that their electrode surfaces are opposite to each other. In this apparatus, a bobbin coil is fitted to a housing on which the touch panel is secured. This apparatus is disclosed in for example Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2002-259059, paragraphs [0037] to [0040], FIG. 3, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7. In this input apparatus, when the operator presses the touch panel, the electrode sheets contact each other and electricity flows. As a result, the bobbin coil operates and pushes the touch panel back to the operator. Thus, the operator can feel a click sense.
In another proposed input apparatus, a touch panel is supported by a piezoelectric device. An operation force is detected with a voltage that occurs in the piezoelectric device corresponding to a pressing pressure on the touch panel. (This input apparatus is disclosed in for example Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. HEI 11-212725, paragraphs [0132] to [0143], FIG. 15, FIG. 16). Thus, when the operator presses the touch panel, it does not have a press stroke. However, the operator can feel a click sense.
However, in the conventional touch panel type input apparatuses, when the operator operates the panel, he or she cannot feel a stroke sense. In addition, since the touch panel type input apparatuses generate a click sound, press the panel back to the operator, or vibrate it with a small delay after he or she operates the panel, these input apparatuses cannot clear operator's anxiety about the touch panel. Thus, the touch panel type input apparatuses have not satisfied virtual switches.
Since the operator knows a touch sense of real switches, when he or she presses the panel of such a touch panel type input apparatus, he or she cannot feel a stroke sense. If the operator feels a strong sense on the touch panel after he or she have pressed the panel, he or she may become uncomfortable.
In other words, the touch panel type input apparatuses need to not only give feedback to the operator, but also cause the operator to virtually feel a stroke sense as if he or she pressed a switch button.
The conventional touch panel type input apparatuses deforms the panel and feed back a force sense to the operator regardless of the strength with which the operator presses the panel. In the input apparatuses, the panel is pressed in various manners that depend on the operators. In particular, an operator who is not accustomed to the apparatus tends to strongly press the panel. This is because the feedback from the panel is the same regardless of the manners that the operator presses the panel. The operator does not know a response of the apparatus corresponding to the pressure with which he or she presses the panel. As a result, the operator will have a bad impression about the operability of the touch panel.
When the operator presses the panel, if he or she has feedback, he or she may feel safe against the operation. However, if the operator strongly presses the panel, his or her finger is fatigued. When the operator becomes accustomed to the input operation, he or she can lightly press the panel. However, if the feedback from the panel is constant, it is difficult for the operator to learn to optimally press the panel. In particular, if the operator is not accustomed to the operation of the panel, he or she tends to mistake the operation.
The present invention is made from the foregoing point of view. An object of the present invention is to provide an input apparatus and a control method thereof that allow the operator to virtually feel a stroke when he or she operates the panel.
In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an information process apparatus and a remote control apparatus that use such an input apparatus.
In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an input apparatus and a control method thereof that allow the panel to deform corresponding to manners in which the operator operates the panel so as to feed back a force sense to the operator.
In addition, the present invention is to provide an information process apparatus and a remote control apparatus that use such an input apparatus.